The Evaluator Competencies Self-Assessment required for the Learning Design and Technology 506 course gave me valuable insights. It allowed me to see the current strengths that I bring with my experience and areas where I need further development in regard to the five domains outlined by the American Evaluation Association’s Evaluator Competencies. My professional experience mostly comes from being in the classroom as a K-12 special education teacher. I use data frequently to monitor and report on student progress, adjust instruction, and develop IEP goals. I understand data and its use on a classroom level to work with students and collaborate with colleagues and families. The self-assessment, on the other hand, has made it clear that I am still developing when it comes to formal evaluation design and implementation with broader programs and systems. My novice, 2 out of 6, evaluator placement stems from my limited formal design and methodology experience, however I possess the strong interpersonal and reflection skills needed to be an effective evaluator. In my current role evaluation is often associated with assessment, however through this course I will begin to view evaluation in different terms as I explore and learn evaluation protocols, systems, and gain the competencies needed to provide effective feedback to organizations and institutions.
Interpersonal competence is one of my strongest areas according to the self-assessment. I rated myself a 6 in the areas of building relationships, listening to different perspectives, and effectively communicating. As a special education teacher these competencies are used and honed on a daily basis. During IEP meetings, I communicate data and progress to the team, often helping them adjust instructional supports and service decisions based on that information. I communicate with families, general education teachers and service providers by interpreting and explaining what the individual student data means for instruction and next steps. There are times when I must simplify assessment results into accessible language and terms so that everyone on the team understands and is able to agree so that we can proceed. This strength aligns with Stevahn et al.’s (2005) interpersonal competence domain which is an essential skill needed to be able to translate the technical work of an evaluator to stakeholders. I am confident in my ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and engage stakeholders. According to the American Evaluation Association’s competencies (n.d.) professionals also need to possess cultural competence and be able to resolve conflict. As a teacher working in a sector that serves the public, I serve students and families from varied backgrounds and resolve various conflicts (scheduling, IEP goals, service times, etc.), so that students receive the best education possible. This is a skill that will translate well into the learning design field.
Reflective professional practice is another strength that I possess in my current role. In the classroom, reflecting on my work is essential. After implementing a lesson, I write a short reflection on the plan in the space provided (the template is designed by me). This guides me to next steps that often happen fast, such as changing a part of the lesson for the next period’s class. I adjust instruction, try different strategies, and modify materials through reflection, often leading to improved student performance on follow-up assessments. This correlates well with the reflective practice noted by Stevahn et al. (2005), as an essential skill needed to improve the quality of evaluations and subsequent decisions that come from it.
The self-assessment not only allowed me to see my strengths but also gave me valuable insight into areas where I need to grow. One area of growth noted by self-assessment is systematic inquiry and methodology. I do not know how to design evaluations and select appropriate methods to conduct evaluations. I am comfortable collecting data but have never developed evaluation questions or selected methodologies to use. Stevahn et al. (2005) describe this competency as the “technical aspects of evaluation practice, such as design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting.” I am clearly a novice in this area but look forward to gaining experience with these skills throughout the LDT 506 course.
Planning and management is another area where I lack experience. I rated myself low in regard to managing evaluation plans, timelines, and resources. As a teacher I manage deadlines, pacing of instruction, and so forth, but that is very different from managing a formal evaluation of a large-scale program or system. This is an area where I will seek to grow in competence as I continue my journey into learning design.
The self-assessment gave me some surprising insights into what an evaluator does. I expected evaluators to be mainly concerned with outcomes and data, but there is much more to it than that. Evaluators also focus on analyzing program design not just the results, as reflected in AEA competency 2.9, using program logic and theory. My understanding of the field has shifted from an assessment focus to more of an evaluative focus on systems and programs.
As I move into learning design and proceed beyond this class, I will inevitably gain experience with each of the 5 domains outlined in the AEA competencies in the real-world job context. I will seek out roles that focus on evaluation to better be able to impact learning on a larger scale. As a member of the Instructional Leadership Team at my school I will use what I learn in this class to better evaluate the programs and initiatives put forth by the team and their consequent results.
Next Step:
As I progress into module 2 of LDT 506 I will focus on developing skills in my noted areas of growth: systematic inquiry and methodology and project management. The module will give me experience in the beginning stages of systematic inquiry through the evaluation of a request for proposal and the subsequent response to the proposal with an evaluation proposal. I will then analyze an evaluation proposal to determine what sections need more detail and my own level of comfort in drafting distinct sections. I will also be assigned a team to work with and will begin gaining experience in project management as tasks are broken into parts and timelines into deadlines. As I progress, I look forward to becoming a more competent evaluator and overall, a more effective learning designer.
References:
AEA Evaluator Competencies. (n.d.). Www.eval.org. https://www.eval.org/About/Competencies-Standards/AEA-Evaluator-Competencies
Stevahn, L., King, J. A., Ghere, G., & Minnema, J. (2005). Establishing Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 26(1), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214004273180
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